1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for analyzing and processing data on an object, and especially to a system and method for capturing dimensions from a graphic file of an object.
2. Background of the Invention
In recent years, reverse engineering has been applied in a wide range of industrial design and manufacturing fields. Reverse engineering is mainly used for obtaining geometrical data on an object by analyzing and processing point cloud data on the object. Then a user can manufacture the object according to the geometrical data.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,648 discloses an apparatus and method for creating three-dimensional modeling data on an object. Referring to FIG. 24, the apparatus comprises a material removal means 2401, a data requisition means 2403 and an object shuttle 2405. When the object shuttle 2405 transmits the object (not shown) to a first location 2407, the material removal means 2401 cuts the object to provide an exposed surface thereof. Then the object shuttle 2405 transmits the object to a second location 2409. The data requisition means 2403 acquires data on the exposed surface. Subsequently, the object is transmitted back to the first location 2407 and back to the second location 2409 repeatedly, for successive cycles of cutting the object and acquiring data. After each exposed surface is provided, geometrical data on it is obtained, processed and recorded. By combining the geometrical data on each exposed surface, a three-dimensional electronic domain representation of the object is yielded.
However, the user sometimes wants to know the difference between the geometry of the manufactured object and the theoretical geometry of the object. Computer aided verification (CAV) can provide such information. CAV can compare a point cloud model of the object with a design model thereof, and mark difference ranges in different colors. CAV can let the user know where and how the manufactured object is different from the design model.
Even though CAV can indicate difference ranges between the manufactured object and the design model, the user sometimes needs to know exact differences. This is because the user may want to improve the quality of the manufactured object by changing production criteria and procedures. Current technology does not enable the user to obtain design dimensions of an object from a graphic file thereof directly for juxtaposing the design dimensions with measurements of the object for precise comparison.